As an airbag device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, a driver airbag device and a passenger airbag device regulating movement of an occupant in a vehicle traveling direction and easing an impact applied to the occupant at a front collision of a vehicle are well known.
Recently, an airbag device intended to protect an occupant at a side collision (side airbag device) has been developed in addition to the above airbag devices. This type of side airbag device includes, for example, an airbag device of a type in which an airbag provided at a seat or a side door is inflated and extended at a side collision. Alternatively, for example, there is a side airbag device of a type in which an airbag provided between a roof side rail and a ceiling member is inflated and extended downward in a curtain state.
In a side collision, an occupant on a seat on a non-collision side receives a force toward a direction on a collision side (that is, inward in the car width direction). Then, the occupant is moved inward in the car width direction. Without means for regulating the movement inward in the car width direction, there is a fear that the occupant might be injured by a collision against the other seat or the like. Also, if occupants are seated on each of the adjacent seats, respectively, there is a fear that the both occupants might collide against each other.
Patent Document 1 discloses a technique to avoid a collision between occupants by inflating and extending an airbag between both seats and pushing out the both occupants outward in the car width direction, respectively, at a vehicle collision.
In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a switch operation portion protruding from a center part of an instrument panel to rear of a vehicle is provided, and an airbag is provided below the switch operation portion. Since the airbag is partially brought into contact with a lower face of the switch operation portion above when it is inflated, upward inflation of the airbag is regulated. Then, the airbag is inflated outward to the right and left or rearward. Thus, right and left occupants are pushed outward, respectively.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 2800486